Haunting Words giveaway winner

What a week! But it's not over yet. It's Saturday, which means it's time to pick the winner for the Haunting Words pax!

And the winner is...

Jen CW!

I have your email, so expect to hear from someone from Amber Allure very soon.

Don't forget to check back with us in July when our next pax, Edge of Danger, brings you five stories that put our heroes in peril. See you then!

Hidden Messages by Michelle Robbins

What has always interested me about Horror’s subgenre, Hauntings, is the focus of spinning a morality tale.  Certainly, an author works to enhance the creep factor, done by Horror’s inversion of normalcy, but within the spectrum of haunted fiction there is always a sense that a message is trying to get through.  (Apropos to “haunting” itself?)  An author of that sub-genre is challenged with two fundamental questions:  What do I want to say?  What message is so critical for a soul to split the veil between worlds to tell it?

The questions above—both asked and answered—are what makes for powerful, extraordinary fiction. (Will anyone ever forget, “That’s a big Twinkie”?)  There are some things that we, humanity, will always wonder about.  Those are the archetypal topics often found in “haunted” fiction.

For me, I used Stir of Souls to discuss two critical messages.  One, an ongoing sickening act found in the human flesh trade, the stealing of intersexed and pre-surgery transsexual teenagers for the darkest of tastes; and two, the loss of a relationship.

It’s no secret that the Michelle Robbins books are arguments against the loathsome criminality of childhood abuse.  I believe that only Ides of March and Rockin’ the ‘Nog don’t contain these elements. Everything else I’ve produced for Amber Quill (Allure as well as Heat) touches on the lifelong consequences of childhood abuse.  As such, it’s no surprise that Stir of Souls reaches into this often-painful area as well. 

There, I discussed Kleinfelter’s.

Kleinfelter’s is a genetic complexity of the male/female chromosomes.  Basically, a boy baby is born with two XX chromosomes.  Thus, he is (in layman’s terms) half boy and half girl (ie: XXY). For some this is the Holy Grail of perversions.  Criminals steal these teens and market them to the highest bidder.  The villains have also have been known to hormonally induce lactation in order to fulfill this perversion’s highest fantasy.

When I read about this, I screamed in horror and had nightmares for months.  As a survivor of the Triple Crown of childhood abuses, my mind cringed from the reality.  In many ways, and with respect to different perversions, poor Sven’s story could have been mine. 

This phenomenon is horrible, horrifying, and sickening.  It must be brought to light and expunged. As such, it was a perfect topic for Horror/Hauntings. 

Atop of that, I was in the midst of severing the relationship I’d written about inside In Training. Nothing negative or anything, my Seth and I simply faced divergent life paths.  I wish him nothing but the best, as I’m sure he wishes the same for me. 

Both he and I are metaphysically based and our views on life are somewhat skewered for a different reality.  The life questions of “why” are often viewed through a different lens than many. In our understanding, we know people in “this” life just as we knew them in the past life…and the future one. People will always find familiar souls; with those souls the challenges of “this incarnation” are faced, experienced, and resolved. 

So, it came to pass that both he and I realized that what we’d needed to learn from each other had been learned.  Consequently, it was time to move on to the next life lesson but make no mistake, it’s hard.  I will miss him and will always search for him.  Such is the connection I believe that exists between us. 

For Stir of Souls, I delivered that metaphysical lesson via the ghost’s visitations to our hero, Luis. For me, was there anything more important to say to the living than how much you love them? I can’t think of a thing beyond that.  Readers will find that message in the chapter’s headings as well as narrated via what transpired between Luis and Seven.

I cried my way through Stir of Souls but by the end of the story I felt a sense of peace, a sense of healing.  I had the strength to move on with my life without regret.  It is my hope Stir of Souls reaches out to you, dear readers, and touches your hearts as well. 

The answers for many life’s questions and challenges is simple.  LOVE.

*_*_*

Stir of Souls by Michelle Robbins is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

Another excerpt from The Paranormal Detection Agency by Anne Brooke

“Please,” I said to Mr. Riley, with a wave of my hand, “come and sit down, and tell me your situation.”

As he turned toward the threadbare red sofa lurking like a familiar in the corner of the office, the imp spat a swift jet of water in my direction, and I only just managed to dodge it by leaping sideways and slamming my leg right against my desk. The trouble with water-imp spit was how it was only visible to other people once it hit you and tended to be a particularly nasty shade of green. Something to do with their origins in the sea, I believed, though nobody ever knew for sure, and the imps weren’t telling.

As I stifled a swift curse for the sake of professionalism, Mr. Riley’s gaze swung back to me. “Are you all right?”

“Oh yes,” I lied, attempting to smile and rub my leg without appearing to be too weird. “I’m fine. Please, Mr. Riley, do sit.”

“Thank you,” he said with a frown and did so. I joined him. “But call me Aaron. Mr. Riley sounds too much like my father. If he knew I was here, he’d probably kill me.”

“Which wouldn’t be a problem for me, though payment might be trickier,” I said, only half-joking before realizing how off-the-wall it would sound to anyone who wasn’t a detective of the paranormal. “Sorry. I mean I’m sure it won’t come to it.”

Before I could dig myself any deeper into the hole I’d started, Aunt Miranda returned carrying a tray loaded with steaming mugs of tea and coffee, a matching sugar bowl and milk jug, and a vast plate of hobnobs.

Thank heavens for hobnobs. They solved a wide variety of ills.

“Here you are, dears,” Miranda sang out, leaning over to deposit her goodies on the table and almost depositing her substantial breasts in Mr. Riley’s—Aaron’s—face as well. He blinked wildly and veered backward in an attempt to avoid the less-than-buried treasure, at the same time as the water-imp flung himself right on top of Miranda’s greatest assets with a merry cry.

Water-imps were rather partial to breasts. I might have forgotten to mention this, though, as a gay man, breasts didn’t come onto my radar. Miranda couldn’t see what Aaron had brought in—she didn’t have the gift—but she could certainly feel it. She let out a fearsome shriek as the creature scrabbled across her skin and the tray dropped the rest of the way to the table. Somehow, Aaron saved it from disaster, though a large dollop of milk landed with a splash on the floor. I leapt up and pulled the imp away from my aunt’s chest before throwing it across my desk, where it landed with a thump and a furious chattering on my computer keyboard. I only hoped the dryness of my latest financial reports might keep it busy for a while.

Miranda rearranged her front, wiped up the milk with her handkerchief and harrumphed before tip-tapping back to her desk. I smiled as sanely as I could at my potential new client before sitting back down on the sofa. Aaron’s gaze was fixed on mine. “Hobnob?” I asked him.

*_*_*

The Paranormal Detection Agency by Anne Brooke is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

Two steps from the truth? - that's No Angel!

Two events in my own life prompted this story. The first was shameful voyeurism! One evening in my local supermarket, I watched as a very attractive young man leaned over to reach some fruit at the back of a counter, and his male companion pinched his arse! They were killing themselves laughing, and all I could do was wonder about the story behind that pinch - and why I'd probably never have had the nerve myself to do it, to that young man or *anyone* LOL.

The second event was an evening out at a restaurant, years ago when I was still dating, and I was meant to be having a romantic one-on-one meal with a potential new boyfriend. Yet I kept feeling eyes on me, someone watching. Once, when my companion (who never actually got beyond potential, by the way LOL) leaned over to stroke my hand on the table, I swear I heard a chuckle behind me. I twisted around in my seat but there was no one in the restaurant by then except for us. I blamed it on my over-active imagination!

But maybe it had been true. Maybe someone *was* watching me, someone I couldn't see. And rather than some kind of guardian angel - were *they* some kind of voyeur as well?!

That all set the characters I wanted for NO ANGEL - the sensible Felix, who worries about shopping and working and keeping his family afloat, and not allowing much time for romance for himself. Mickey, his new and seriously hunky boyfriend who's much more laid-back - and yes, who *would* pinch someone in a supermarket! And then the third member of their relationship - the invisible Bryn, a ghost with twenty more years of having fun beyond Felix's experience, a lecherous eye, an obscene sense of humour, and a total lack of discretion :)

Let me know what YOU think of the gang in NO ANGEL, will you?!

*_*_*

No Angel by Clare London is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win!

The Ghost of Get Me Some Corners by A.J. Llewellyn & D.J. Manly

D.J.:

It's not always fun being alone especially when you're a ghost. In my initial idea, Get Me Some Corners was the place to go when you wanted to get you some. Gay men knew what that code word meant back in the day when gay bars were all hidden away in dark corners. 

But other things can lurk in dark corners besides sex. And what if those "other things" are compelling you to hang around and find out about secrets that have been kept for many years? 

There is some great sex to be had in Get Me Some Corners but there also might be a price to pay. Maybe they want you to stay…forever. 

When Ian is transferred from the big city, he fears he might be the only gay man in town. He isn't. Gay men have been around for quite some time in this quaint little town but they all might not be alive.  

There is nothing more fascinating and terrifying than a ghost story. And that’s why writers like to write them and readers like to read them.

What do we know about ghosts? Well, contrary to popular belief, most ghosts are not seen wandering around in cemeteries, but rather are found in houses and buildings. Why do the dead hang around and tease the living?

Some believe ghosts are trapped. They don’t know they’re dead. Some stay because their bodies were never buried, never discovered. Some were murdered and they revisit their deaths over and over. Sometimes they seek justice or even revenge for what was done to them in life. Some have some unfinished business. They need to keep a promise to someone or even to warn them about something. Sometimes their emotional ties to a place are too strong and they can’t break away. 

Or perhaps the ghost itself is evil and is being punished by not being allowed to move on.

Whatever it is, it’s intriguing. It can be exciting, terrifying and even deadly. 

A.J.:

When D.J. first proposed this idea to me, I thought, "Wow! How cool!" I've always adored romantic ghost stories such as The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Topper, and of course, Ghost. I've always loved the idea of love being so strong that even death cannot conquer it.

Of course, in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, the love and the passion though simmering, remain chaste until Mrs. Muir dies. As he spirit departs this world, her crusty old sea captain is there waiting to join her on "the other side." 

Romantic? Yes, and undeniably unforgettable. But sexy? Well…maybe not. And what about Ghost? Patrick Swayze has to communicate with his grieving widow via a wacky psychic and though it's funny and memorable and emotionally satisfying, nobody could imagine Demi Moore and Woopi Goldberg (possessed by Swayze) doing the funky chicken.

So. I loved this updated idea and enjoyed the whole realm of possibilities it presented. I thought the sex was hot, hot, hot. No longer did I have to wonder what Rex Harrison's sea captain character did once he got his hands on his sweet, sad, widowed woman.

I could see it. Well, imagine it, because the first sex scene D.J. wrote involved numerous people but it's dark and well, crowded.

Holy ménages, Batman!

I liked the idea of a new guy coming to town and looking for action. Ian doesn't expect the kind of heat he experiencess. When D.J. first laid out the story I was intrigued. Ian's employee, Steve, is a guy who's local. I thought it would be cool if Steve (my character) had experienced the Ghost of Get Me Some Corners.

Of course, we have sex and love and tons of romance in this book, but I can't help thinking of the actual ghost of Get Me Some Corners. I hope that in his misty world he finds true love, that he finds someone who wants him too. 

I am reminded of a lovely quote by Benito Perez Galdos: "I believe that if I should die, and you were to walk near my grave, from the very depths of the earth I would hear your footsteps."

That to me, is what love, and this book I have come to cherish, is all about.

*_*_* 

The Ghost of Get Me Some Corners ~ Synopsis:

When Ian gets promoted and transferred to head up a new office for his computer firm in Greenhill Groves, it seems a great boost to his career, but he also suspects it might just be the death knell regarding his sex life. Then, with the help of his hot assistant Steve, Ian learns about a happening dance club located at the end of a dead end street, a legendary spot that gay men used to refer to back in the 1970s as “Get Me Some Corners.”

One night, loaded with high expectations, Ian decides to check out the hook-up joint. To his surprise, he not only meets a gorgeous guy named Zach, but also has the best sex of his life in the club’s darkened back room with multiple partners.

But despite all this, Ian can’t shake the notion that something isn’t quite right at the bar...not quite right at all...

  

Genres: Gay / Paranormal / Ghosts / Hauntings / Suspense / Thriller / BDSM (Light)/ Ménage (M/M/M) / Group Sex 

Heat Level: 3 

Length: Novella (23k words)

*_*_*

The Ghost of Get Me Some Corners by A.J. Llewellyn & D.J. Manly is now available at Amber Allure.

If you'd like the chance to win the entire pax collection, just leave a comment on today's post. On Saturday, a winner will be picked at random from all the comments made this week on the blog. Comment on all, and that's multiple chances to win! 

LATEST PAX RELEASE - Haunting Words

Genres: Gay (M/M) Paranormal Romance

The titles listed below comprise the Haunting Words AmberPax™ Collection. Buy all five together and receive a 35% discount! To purchase any of the titles individually, click on the covers below to go to the books' separate pages. 

The Ghost of Get Me Some Corners by A.J. Llewellyn & D.J. Manly Novella (Gay)

No Angel by Clare London Extended Novella (Gay)

The Paranormal Detection Agency by Anne Brooke Novella (Gay)

Stir of Souls by Michelle Robbins Extended Amber Kiss (Gay)

Vibrations by L.A. Witt Extended Amber Kiss (Gay)

 

In conjunction with our newest release, we will be having a giveaway! Any comment made from today throughout the week (6/15-6/20) will be eligible to win the entire pax collection. A winner will be picked at random on Saturday from all comments received.

Vibrations by L.A. Witt

Nate Bard is at his wit’s end. There’s something living—or not living, as the case may be—in his house, and if he ever wants to sleep again, it needs to go. Ever the skeptic, Nate balks at his sister’s suggestion of bringing in a psychic, but after another sleepless night, he’s desperate.

Enter Isaac Lane, the hot psychic who immediately senses both the ghost and the homeowner’s doubts.

Within minutes of Isaac’s arrival, weird things start happening. Though Nate hasn’t had a clue what’s been making this ghost so restless, now it seems the ghost is bent on getting the two men together. And neither Nate nor Isaac is able—or willing—to resist.

Genres: Gay/Paranormal/Ghosts/Hauntings

Heat Level: 3
Length: Extended Amber Kiss (11k words) 

Read a short excerpt...

...Behind me, the sliding glass door closed, and footsteps approached. I spun around, certain I was about to be face to face with nothing again, but it was Isaac.

He stopped, showing his palms. “Easy. It’s just me.”

I slouched against the railing. “Fuck. I’m going crazy.”

“A lot of people think they’re going crazy when things happen that they can’t explain.”

“Well, that’s why you’re here.” I ran a shaking hand through my hair. “To explain this shit so I don’t lose my mind.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do.” Isaac touched my arm, and I expected electricity to shoot through my skin at the touch, but nothing happened. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

I met his eyes. That was strange. Now he was a few inches away from me, touching me, looking at me, and I didn’t have that weird flustered feeling anymore. That wasn’t to say I’d suddenly stopped being attracted to him. Quite the opposite. It was like something had been fogging my thoughts before, and now I was looking at him with a sense of clarity that had inexplicably abandoned me as soon as I’d laid eyes on him. And with the memory of that “oh my God I want you” attraction still simmering beneath the surface, I still wanted him. Badly. I just felt like I was a bit more in control of those thoughts. It reminded me of those wild nights in my younger days when I’d hook up with someone while we were both drunk, and the next morning, I’d realize, “Hey, I really am into you.”

Except I hadn’t been drunk when Isaac showed up. And if I had been, I sure wouldn’t have sobered up in the time it took a ghost to grab my balls and send me out onto my back deck to catch my damned breath.

“Nate?”

I rubbed a hand over my face. “I’m sorry. Just…rattled.”

“It’s okay.” He released my arm, and I caught myself wishing he hadn’t. He gestured over his shoulder at the kitchen. “So what exactly happened in there?”

I swallowed. “I…I was making coffee, and there was someone in the room. I thought it was you. I was sure it was you.”

“Right, because there’s no one else here.”

“No, it—” My teeth snapped together. As I replayed that bizarre moment in my mind, I couldn’t explain it, but I had been certain the person in the room with me was Isaac. Even now, knowing Isaac had been elsewhere, my mind’s eye insisted that was Isaac...